Wayward Souls
by aceofspades57
Summary: Sinbad is many things. Handsome, charismatic, a pain-in-the-ass of royal proportions, not to mention dangerously cunning. But even someone as impossible as the High King of the Seven Seas needs a counterpart. Like how every heart should have a beat, every dance should have a song...Every king should have a queen. Sinbad x Oc
1. Diamond and Glass

**A/N: Welcome to 'Wayward Souls'! I have had the idea of a Magi fanfiction on my brain for a while now and I decided…why not? Especially with all the recent developments. This takes place during 'Adventures of Sinbad' and I hope you enjoy it. I also have a Hakuryuu x Oc story in mind. Please review, criticism is always welcome.**

_**-AoS**_

* * *

><p><strong>Wayward Souls<strong>

_**Chapter 1: Diamond and Glass**_

It was a beautiful sight.

Azure waves reflected vibrant hues of red, yellow and violet that melted together in a breathtaking scene.

Ashy gray eyes softened briefly, swimming with nostalgia. It had been too long since she had taken the time to enjoy something as simple and as beautiful as a sunset. Never being one to stop and marvel at the magnificence of Mother Nature, the young girl paused, taking it all in. Taking in a breath, the thirteen year old closed her eyes and listened to the gentle lull of the ocean. The salty sea breeze played with wavy light brown locks that just barely touched her shoulders.

It was nice. Relaxing, even.

"If only the rest of the world could have the simplicity of a sunset and be just as fantastic," she mused, repressing the urge to sigh.

"_Only in a perfect world," _a low and undeniably male replied.

A small grimace crossed her lightly tanned face. "A perfect world? Who in the right mind would want that?"

"_I'm afraid that would be most people…"_

"I don't get it. If you have only good things throughout your life then you won't know their true value and take them for granted. Just like if you have all bad things then you wouldn't know a good thing even if it hit you over the head with a glass vase. The world needs balance."

"_That is indeed true and yet…do you not long for more than just balance?"_

"Of course, it is human nature to desire more than what one has."

"_Again true. Now, what is it that you desire?"_

"Haven't we had this conversation before? I believe I told you my wish the first time we met, did I not?"

"_Yes, but somehow it seems to have slipped my mind."_

The young girl sighed. "Sometimes, I can't help but think that you're more trouble than you're worth."

"_I assure you, I am worth much _much_ more."_

"I want to live life-to see the world in its entirety. I want to experience what makes this world such an amazing place. The good things, the bad things, the fun things, and the sad things…I want it all."

"_Now, that's what I love to hear! As you wish, my queen."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Two Years Later: Village of Kalamdi<strong>_

It was a bizarre sight.

Sunlight shone obnoxiously from the makeshift skylight that she had inadvertently created. A girl-somewhere in her mid teens- dangled somewhat helplessly from the ceiling of a sketchy tavern with a rope tightly coiled around her leg and pride dead in the water.

Gray eyes narrowed into a cold stare, jaw clenched, and lips thinned into a line. There were an entire slew of words that could describe the tempest that was brewing inside her chest. Not that she would show it.'Never let them know what you're thinking.'-a mantra that had been all but beaten into her throughout what one would call 'childhood'. Despite suffering utter humiliation and a death blow to her irreplaceable pride, the gray-eyed girl maintained her usual impassive countenance.

"Faiza," came an almost painfully familiar voice. Her eyes immediately cut towards another girl, three years her senior and currently reclined in her chair with a bemused expression coating her features. "Judging by your current predicament, I can assume it went well." Soft burgundy curls framed a gentle and honest face, amethyst eyes sparkling with their usual mirth.

"It didn't. He got away," Faiza replied flatly.

"Huh, you don't say…" One could almost feel the sarcasm that permeated the air.

With a quick roll of ashy gray eyes, Faiza casually slipped out the dagger that she made sure to keep strapped to her arm, slashed the rope, and landed on her feet with relative ease. She then proceeded to pull up a seat beside her companion, ignoring the crazed stares she was receiving from other customers.

Manali chuckled softly, reclining further back in her chair and boldly placing her feet on the table. "It's safe to assume that it was a colossal failure, am I right?" She received a grimace and a curt nod in reply.

Taking in a breath, the burgundy haired girl let out a long exaggerated sigh. She hated this part. "Now, Faiza, will you finally give up on hunting this guy and go back to the Nasiri with me? It's been established multiple times that he is out of our league in terms of power."

Furrowing her brows and inclining her head slightly to the right, Faiza recounted each of their run-ins with that ever so mysterious and impossibly cunning man. She counted ten in total, each attempt falling just short of success.

Returning to the conversation at hand, she refocused her stare and silver clashed with amethyst. "And waste these two years? I think not. You must take me for a fool."

Manali winced at the familiar bite that she was often on the receiving end of. "You genuinely think that we can still catch him, don't you?"

Folding her arms across her chest, the straight-faced fifteen-year-old stated very matter-of-factly, "Absolutely." Gray eyes narrowed, determined to win the argument as they usually tended to do.

"It's useless. At this rate, we are going to run out of money and then what will we do? That's why we should go back to the Nasiri-back _home_, regain our bearings, and then we can continue our search and maybe we'll get some new leads. I'm sure Karam will be happy to see you."

A shiver ran down Faiza's spine as she repressed the memory of those leering jade eyes.

"The only thing that we'll get from going back home is a knife slitting our throats."

"You're exaggerating."

"And you're stalling, we could be hunting him down right now but instead you refuse to do your job and are preventing me from dong mine. We are bounty hunters, this is what we're supposed to do."

"I'm not saying that we should give up all together. I would simply prefer if we had some way to stock up on supplies."

"I'd rather not take the chance of our proprietors-whoever they may be- finding out and killing us in our sleep. I would also prefer not to waste any time."

"A roundtrip will take about six months. It's not that long…"

"If you want to go back to the Nasiri that's fine with me but know that I won't follow you," said Faiza standing up. And with that being said, she left while pondering all possible locations of her target.

Heaving a long sigh and removing her feet from the table, Manali ran a hand through her burgundy curls. Ever since they were children, it had always been like this. The two girls would bicker back and forth like cats and dogs with the end result being exactly the same as the last. In the end, she would indefinitely bend to Faiza's will. It never mattered what they argued about whether it be taking on a band of ignorant miscreants or deciding where to sleep for the night. Faiza would always win. And that infuriated her.

But even with potential freedom from roaming the earth in search of an enigmatic pain-in-the-ass at stake, the practical side of her that never failed to keep them both out of trouble was screeching for her to back down. _For now_.

Manali rose from her seat, knowing that she get her chance sooner or later. The task of the hour was finding Faiza and preventing her from doing anything ridiculous or rash. Contemplating a variety of ways to sway her tenacious ghost of a friend, Manali set out to prevent a life-altering cataclysm- the kind of which seemed to follow them wherever they went.

* * *

><p>Scouring the streets of a bustling town for one single person was possibly <em>the most <em>pain-staking and downright _annoying_ job Faiza had ever been faced with. Not even dealing with Karam-no-scratch that…Karam was an entity incomparable to all others. A frown tugged at her lips as she inquired from the natives about the whereabouts of the infamous Sinbad and began to notice a pattern.

Most of those of whom she inquired had obviously heard of the dungeon-capturer extraordinaire, as someone who did not know of his escapades was a rare occurrence, but none of them could give her an answer of whether they had or had not seen him in the area. All she received was useless hearsay and within the next few hours, she found herself continuously cursing the fatal blunder that she had made earlier.

"_He bested you, my queen and I must say that it was quite entertaining."_ A look of disdain fluttered across her face at the sound of her djinn, who had a flair for condescension and utter insanity.

_Sitri, could you please tell me whose side you're on?_

"_Yours, of course! But I like to add a bit of perspective to certain situations in which you are…well…prone to being as stubborn as an ox. And believe my words when I say, sweetie, it will not get you a husband."_

Gray eyes continued to scan the area, unfazed by all attempts to get some sort of reaction.

_Quit spouting nonsense and speak realistically. I made a simple mistake when trying to capture Sinbad and he got away. End of story._

"_I beg to differ. In reality-if I may be so bold-you got your ass handed to you."_

_The boundless _wisdom _of you djinn never ceases to amaze me._

"_Sarcasm does not suit you, my dear,"_ Sitri sang. _"I assume attempting to sway you from this silly hunt is totally out of the question."_

_I'm glad you understand._

_"Very well, but don't say I did not give you a fair warning,"_ the playful djinn replied. He knew quite well that there is no use trying to someone as stuck in their ways as Faiza and that the best way to convince them otherwise is to let them fail. It's not as if he took joy out of seeing his queen frustrated and flounder about but it's not as though he wasn't amused by it from time to time.

* * *

><p>Faiza hummed in amusement, the fresh piece of information still buzzing in her mind. Dungeons. Why hadn't she thought of this before? It was absolutely brilliant! The best place, without any shadow of a doubt, to wait for a dungeon-capturer is…<em>duh<em>…a dungeon. She was a bit disappointed in herself for not figuring it out sooner-it's not like a giant ornate building in the middle of a jungle is the most inconspicuous thing in the world-but all despondent feelings were quickly overshadowed.

Faiza was giddy. Absolutely…positively…giddy.

The fact that the sixty-third djinn, Andras, was known for its foul temperament only further heightened her joy. Who doesn't love a challenge?

"_No, absolutely not! I forbid it!"_

_What is it now, Sitri?_

"_I am your djinn. I don't see why you need another one and I really don't see why you are so excited."_

_A new dungeon and another chance to capture Sinbad. What could be better?_

"_A glass of wine. I will be truthful. If it is at all possible, it will be extremely difficult trying to capture the miracle child."_

_Bullshit. There's no such thing as miracles._

"_And yet you have me,"_ Sitri said with a dejected sigh.

_Right…_

"_Andras is particularly nasty. She has no sense of decorum, no class…not to mention she'll run a spear through anything that has a beating heart."_

She shrugged. _No worries, I have you. And as much as I would love to say that you are all I need, I will need a little bit more to be able to capture Sinbad-just like you said._

"_Very well, my queen. Very well,"_ Sitri conceded. Faiza's brows quirked upward in a mixture of mild shock and confusion. There was something unsettling about Sitri backing down so easily from an argument but she would take what she could get. All's well that ends well…

* * *

><p>He knew her as stubborn.<p>

He knew her as proud.

He knew her as the force that would hunt him down to the ends of the earth without batting an eye.

Despite having a minimal amount of bonding time, Sinbad could deduce a plethora of things about his stalker. Taking this into account, he genuinely thought he had a good handle on the entire situation. So good of a handle that he felt no need to inform his companions about the girl that was out for his head. She wouldn't be the first. He survived Ja'far…mostly, so she shouldn't be that big of a problem.

Sinbad firmly believed that he, under the right circumstances, could charm his way through a variety of things. One of those things happened to be Faiza Nasiri. Out of all the encounters he has had with her, including the most recent one in which she happened to fall through the dilapidated roof of a tavern while pursuing him, he could guess-no Sinbad _knew_ that she would eventually come around.

Maybe...

_Probably_...

Hopefully...

But dealing with such a miniscule problem could be dealt with at any another time. A light smile crept onto his face as he stared up at the domineering figure of that of a dungeon. One never truly gets used to these things but he relished the thought of the immense power just waiting to be claimed.

"Fancy meeting you here," a calm voice called out.

Eyes wide and like melted gold met with soothing gray. Short light brown hair, a petite frame and a familiar face was painted with its usual aloofness and impasse. A wide smile spread across his face like a wildfire.

Oh, this was going to be _so much_ fun.


	2. Dream On

_**Chapter 2: **_**Dream On**

"Fancy meeting you here," a calm voice called. Eyes like melted gold met with soothing gray. Short light hair, a petite frame, and a familiar face was painted with its usual aloofness and impasse. A wide smile spread across his face like a wildfire. Oh, this was going to be so much fun.

"Likewise," Sinbad replied with a bright smile. Now, how to talk his way out of this one. Although from their numerous altercations, Sinbad knew that Faiza was not someone who could be easily swayed. But today had been a good day all-in-all so, he felt like trying his luck. If all else failed then he find some way to slip away just like always and challenge the dungeon another time.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his head, completely caught. "I believe this is the fastest you've ever caught up to me. What gave me away?"

"Everything," she replied flatly "what kind of dungeon-capturer doesn't go to a dungeon," He was a strange one. Even by her standards. Someone who under normal circumstances she would go would go out her way to avoid, (the over-enthusiastic types constantly put her on edge) proved to be quite admirable. A royal pain-in-the-ass, but admirable.

"True enough," he agreed with a small nod. "So, by any chance, could we put the whole 'trying to slit my throat in my sleep' thing?"

He watched her arch a brow curiously at his proposition.

Faiza took in a long breath before responding. "Do you honestly think-"

"Just until after I conquer this dungeon, of course. Then, we can go back to our regular routine," he quickly assured her. As he thought, reaching wouldn't get him anything with this one. Just persuading her to let him go into the dungeon would be enough for now. He would figure out his escape plan later.

Yes, he was certain this time.

Today would be the day that he would finally get some substantial amount of cooperation from the hard-headed bounty huntress. Sinbad just had a feeling and his intuition was rarely wrong.

"Yeah, no."

"I thought so. Is there anything I can do to change your mind," he inquired, a fair amount of hope shimmering in his amber eyes.

_I may as well try and get something out of this. At least then I can get Manali off of my back or maybe I could mess around for a bit. It wouldn't kill me._

'_On the contrary, my queen. I believe it is you who is always stating that there is no time to waste and how time is precious.'_

_And you're the one constantly nagging me to relax. Today, I feel like messing around and taking my time._

After a brief pause, Faiza responded, "No…Well, that depends on what you have to offer me."

He paused for a moment, pondering the thought and slightly surprised by the sudden cooperation. A bright smile raced up to his lips and he placed his hand over his heart. "My everlasting gratitude." Faiza went silent and Sinbad found himself on the end of a sharp stare.

"You are a stubborn one, aren't you," he commented with a huff.

"So I've been told," Faiza responded with a shrug.

He folded his arms across his chest, a bit frustrated yet completely undeterred. "All the things that I could possibly offer you are things I need at the moment. Unless you don't mind waiting a few years, I have nothing to give."

"Okay then, let's get this thing started shall we?" Drawing her dagger a look of determination covered her features and she pointed it directly at her opponent. She honestly hadn't intended on fighting any time soon, especially someone of his caliber but if the man wants to negotiate, it can't be all rainbows and sunshine, can it?

One must choose the right time to pressure the other in order to get the most desired outcome.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa let's calm down a bit, shall we," Sinbad flailed. "I'll make you a deal-a fourth of the treasure in that dungeon, if you let me conquer it. What do you say?" Excellent. Faiza smiled inwardly. All that crap she learned back home from Manali actually came in handy. Go figure.

"Tempting, very tempting but you could be transported halfway across the world after you conquer it-assuming you can. Then, you could make off with the treasure and the power-let's not forget that I would be letting you have that as well and I would be stuck here waiting like a fool."

"You have my word. Even if I am transported halfway across the world, I will repay you. Do we have a deal?" Faiza stared blankly at the hand outstretched to her-a practically universal gesture of any business dealing. Her lips parted to decline his offer but she paused when she saw the look on his face. It was almost as if he was hoping for something more than just her okay to conquer a dungeon. If he actually tried then she would more than likely…

"Nah, I'll pass," she said, recovering from her sudden hesitation. He was _definitely_ someone to be wary of.

"Seriously?! Why? You're being completely unreasonable-" Sinbad had tried many times before to compromise with this woman and began to notice a pattern.

He had noticed that negotiations would never go the way he had intended whenever she desperately wanted something. For instance, turning in his lifeless body for a few gold coins. It finally clicked. "You want to take this dungeon, don't you," Sinbad deadpanned.

"Took you long enough to figure it out," said Faiza, "I also don't believe in bribes."

"Then why-nevermind. Have it your way." From the very beginning she had no intention of compromise. He admitted it, she had won this round. But there would be many more to come if he had anything to do with it. Sinbad relished the thought as they approached the dungeon.

"Ladies first," Faiza said with an exaggerated bow, mimicking his trademark dashing smile.

He chuckled. "Good one. I was beginning to think you didn't have a sense of humor."

She blinked, fake smile quickly running away from her face. "Funny, I have always thought that you lacked a sense of human decency."

"Decency? When have I ever been indecent?"

"Oh, let me count the ways." With a rough shove from behind, Sinbad disappeared into the dungeon with Faiza close behind.

...

...

...

...

While rushing through the small town questioning each and every person about where her childhood companion could have gone, Manali had, in passing, taken notice of a lurking figure and a pair of jade eyes following her. A bead of sweat ran down her flushed face as she slowed to a stop. Her heart thudded furiously inside of her ribcage and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Slowly, she turned around praying to high heaven that she had been hallucinating.

Her stomach immediately dropped and her mouth became dry as the desert at the sight of him. Those same pitch black wavy locks, those same piercing pale jade eyes, that same _unnerving _smile, that same honest looking face that was anything and everything besides genuine and trustworthy…She froze.

"Karam," her voice came out in a hiss. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Business," he replied coolly, leaning against a nearby building. "I've been tasked with capturing a couple of traitors-with or without their heads, mind you so I would appreciate a little less animosity."

"You're here to take us back, am I supposed to believe that? And what the _fuck_ do you mean by traitors?"

He chuckled, smiling widely. "You do realize that there is a ton of shit occurring right now between the Nasiri and our pretty little neighbors. And why so paranoid, hm?"

"It's only natural to question the words of a snake."

Karam let out a bark of laughter. "You're absolutely right. They actually want me to kill the both of you but I honestly do not feel like killing my two closest friends in cold blood, which is also why you are still standing, so, I do believe that a 'thank you' is in order."

"You expect gratitude for _not_ committing murder? You are, to this very day, one twisted son of a bitch, Karam."

"Not my fault," he replied brusquely "but anyway…I'm sure if _I _am against it, which I currently am, and if you beg for your lives for long enough _and_ prove your loyalty, you'll live. Maybe."

Lip curled into a snarl, Manali responded, "It's also not our fault that we wanted better lives than what we were living."

Karam scoffed. "Yeah, it must have been torture to have had shelter, food, and training by the chief and his household. I pity you."

"Not to mention with rules so stringent and suffocating that one can only dream of what lie behind those damned boundary lines."

"Faiza has gotten into your head, hasn't she? Let's be honest, you never wanted to leave in the first place. It was all because of that stupid promise she talked you into."

"Don't give me that. I know that the only reason I am still alive right now is because of her and you just can't bear to do anything to hurt her. I've got news for you. It may be today or tomorrow…two years from now or ten…eventually Faiza is going to-"

"Shut it," he snapped, venom coating his now deadly stare. Manali bit her tongue. She had to watch herself. Even if he didn't feel like slicing her throat at the moment, that did not mean he may not try it if provoked. He was a pesky one to deal with. Sneaky, narcissistic, moody, fickle, and battle-crazy. Karam Hussain constantly exuded an air of self-importance with soft undertones of hostility and deceit. It would have been better if she or Faiza had never met him.

"And the snake bares its fangs, yet again," she muttered softly, eyeing him carefully.

"Thirteen," Karam said. "Thirteen times that I could have killed either one of you today."

"Are you going to take me back or not?"

"No, not yet." He didn't have to go any further. Manali knew that Karam could care less about her. Ever since they were kids, those chilling jade eyes had always been fixated on nonchalant gray.

Grimacing inwardly at the thought of the two's previous volatile relationship, she sighed, resigning herself for the day. It would not be a pretty sight when those two would come together but what other choice did she have?

"I don't know where she is-"

"Then you'll help me find her."

...

...

...

...

The first thing one may notice when entering Andras' dungeon is perhaps, the water. Almost knee-deep and luke-warm, a challenger would soon find, upon waking in the swamp-like surroundings, that his lungs were gradually filling with water. Some would jolt upright, choking and sputtering only to shake it off and pursue the irresistible prospect of power that awaited them. Others wouldn't.

The next thing that would strike them as odd was the plant life. Trees that should have been as large as the dungeon itself littered the place, towering over all challengers. Gigantic roots rose and fell multiple meters off of the ground throughout the murky water. Mosses of every species clung to the roots and hung from the feeble branches of the trees.

Then, travelers would encounter the many monsters of the dungeon. Amorphous blobs of water would attempt to drown them, vines that moved on their own would creep up their backs and strangle them, and for those who survived, delirium would set in. Hallucinations would finish off the rest.

He clutched the vine tightly, giving it a few safety tugs before looking back at her, eyes sparkling with the excitement of a child who had seen snow for the very first time. "I have _always_ wanted to do this." Sinbad jumped and whilst gliding smoothly over the eerie chasm and emitted a shout that fit in perfectly with the wild environment.

Faiza watched in awe. He really was a moron. Somehow, Sinbad had managed to coerce her into forming an alliance to defeat the major parts of the dungeon that would take them both a lifetime to defeat on their own. She eyed a slightly longer and healthier looking vine that hung from the enormous tree root that arched over the two sides of the gap. Ashy gray eyes closed and she carefully considered it. There wasn't any other way after all…

'_You could always use me, my queen,"_ Sitri chimed, reminding her that she had yet to use the power she had risked her life to earn all those years ago.

'_No, it might become a problem if he saw our powers now.'_ Her eyes snapped open at the sound of Sinbad's voice asking if she needed any assistance.

'_After all…'_

The second stretch of marshland rested a bit lower than the one she was situated on. With enough momentum, she could make it but hell, Sinbad had already proven that. The insufferable teen had his arms folded across his chest and a bemused smirk lay on his handsome face.

Oh, he was going to get it all right. As soon as she conquered this dungeon…The shit storm she would bring about with her new djinn...It would magnificent. The prospect of it all nearly brought a smile to her face. Nearly.

'_He's extremely dangerous.'_

Taking a running start, skillfully and swiftly, Faiza latched onto the vine and swung smoothly across and landed right next to her current dungeon-capturing companion.

"Impressive, I didn't think you would make that jump." He received silence as a response.

"Let's go," she said curtly, brushing a few wild strands of hair back behind her ear. He nodded in agreement and they proceeded in silence. He threw Faiza a glance after a few minutes of silence. Sinbad's eyes went wide and he said in a low voice, "Don't move."

She shot him a confused look and suddenly felt something slithering around her arm towards her neck. And as her reflexes dictated, she immediately sliced at it, throwing Sinbad's warning out of the window. A thin vine promptly fell to the ground and a piercing shriek shortly followed. Sinbad paled as he abruptly grabbed Faiza by the wrist and started sprinting.

"I told you not to move!"

Faiza cursed under her breath, looking back over her shoulder in order to get a clear idea of what they were fleeing from and what she unfortunately had just pissed off.

Blobs.

Giant _blobs_ of water that had taken the shapes of various beasts were running full speed trying to catch up to them.

She instantly picked up her pace, feet slamming against water coated ground. "How was I supposed to know _this_ was going to happen," she snapped, a bit flustered at her mistake.

"Expect the unexpected," he shot back. Sinbad glanced back and noticed that the water beasts were hot on their trail. They would be surrounded in no time. It looked like they were going to have to do a tag team of fight-and-flight for the time being. Coming to an abrupt halt, he shot Faiza an impish grin as he raised his sword-an air of confidence surrounding him.

"Baal!"

Right on cue, a torrent lightning raged in the sky. Gray eyes flicked from left to right, following the individual paths of the lightning as they hit each of their targets with staggering precision and speed.

Faiza felt something stir violently inside her chest. The familiar sense of a racing heart, boiling blood, and hands itching for any kind of weapon made her stomach churn. When all was said and done, it didn't matter if she tried to run or hide from it. She was, by blood, part of the Nasiri and this was just her body's was of reminding her of the inescapable fact.

'_Now is neither the time, nor the place,'_ Sitri's soothing voice reminded her.

_I am aware._

…

…

…

...

**Two Years Ago: Village of the Nasiri**

_A gray sky announced the arrival of an incoming storm._

_Tree branches bent and swayed under the influence of coarse winds. The sound of the blowing wind created a hypnotic lull that could coax even the most animated of beings into a deep sleep._

_A relaxed figure sat at the base of a large willow tree, head dipped down toward the chest indicating slumber._

_Pale jade eyes twinkled with mischief as they surveyed the scene. "So this is where you disappeared to," a voice muttered softly. A small smile spread across his features as the young teen seated himself next to the sleeping figure._

_It had been quite a while since the two had last spoken to one another. He, being the cynical narcissist-her words, not his-that he was, had pushed his partner-in-crime's patience beyond its limits and was currently on the receiving end of the infamous silent treatment._

_Not that it worked on him. Not in the slightest. But nevertheless, he noticed himself becoming increasingly irritable without his usual form of entertainment. However, he was just as stubborn as she was, if not more. There was no way that he would let her win this petty little game of hers._

_With a small yawn, he swiftly proceeded to flick the sleeping girl in the ear. Gray eyes immediately snapped open, automatically assessing the situation and taking note of the presence of her distressing sparring partner. Her hand unconsciously twitched for a weapon at the sight of him. Running a hand through light brown locks, a half-hearted sigh escaped her lips._

"_Rise and shine," came the condescending voice of the ebony haired male. She blinked curiously at him, as if unable to comprehend the words just spoken to her. He smiled confidently, turning his gaze to the darkening sky._

_After a long pause, the young girl sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "Alright Karam, what do you-"_

"_I think that makes about sixty to fifteen in my favor, don't you agree?"_

"_No, I don't and-"_

"_It is truly amazing how much you try to ignore me and yet this is always the end result. I wonder why that is?"_

_Her eyes narrowed, already tired despite having just awoken from a two hour long nap. "Karam, I am not in the mood," she replied sternly._

_He dismissed the warning with a soft chuckle and a kind smile. Jade eyes fixed themselves on her in a way that demanded her attention. "Fine, fine. But before I go any further, are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this," he asked, voice laced with uncertainty. "I can't say I agree with this."_

"_Have a little faith, will you?"_

"_Faith is not the issue here, Faiza. You know what will happen if you run now of all times."_

"_And I thought you of all people would be all for this, don't tell me you're losing your touch," she retorted lazily._

_Karam sighed, his sharp gaze returning to the ominous sky. "I have a bad feeling. If you keep looking for trouble, it's bound to find you and I don't think you would be very keen about being put five feet under the ground," he said, "This isn't just about you."_

"_Always the melodramatic…" Karam paused, pondering her choice of adjectives. He had been called a long list of things during his fifteen years of life but he could honestly say that 'melodramatic' was a new one. _

"_I really don't care who or what any of this is about. I don't have a lot of time to waste, so I am going to do what I want from now on."_

_Karam rolled his eyes at her stubborn response, visibly irritated. _

"_Just like a Nasiri, oh wait-you are one."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

"Faiza," Sinbad's voice called out to her. Faiza inclined her head, staring blankly at the person racing to catch up with her.

"You could have at least waited for me."

"It was over in an instant. There was nothing to wait for," Faiza deadpanned, scanning the change in scenery in search for enemies to fight to soothe her sudden battle craving. The next room of the dungeon was smaller than the last. Extremely small to be precise, the water level had risen slightly going up to their knees.

He smiled bashfully. "Amazing, right? The power of a djinn…" Eyes like melted gold studied the room carefully before locking back onto a petite frame trying desperately to gain some distance.

"And you have more than one. You truly are one frightening man," she drawled, picking up her pace.

"Frightening," Sinbad questioned, obviously concerned. "Are you afraid-"

"Do _not_ finish that sentence," she flared, stopping dead in her track to give him a fierce glare.

"And if I was...why would I be here," she continued, "why would I even bother hunting you?" Sinbad shrugged, also noting her omission of the word 'afraid', figuring that it had to be a touchy subject.

"I don't know. Why do you even bother now," he questioned. "From what I've seen, you are a smart girl, cute too. You could be doing better things than wasting every waking moment chasing me around for whatever puny amount of gold whoever hired you is offering." Faiza turned on her heel, going back to her previously rushed pace.

"It's not…It's not from money." Sinbad watched as the frown on her face deepened into a scowl. Had he struck another nerve?

"Why then," he pushed. "Why are you so hell-bent on this?"

"None of your business," Faiza said coolly.

"It is very much my business. This involves my life as well as yours and the people we have influenced in our lives. I don't know about you but I have a few companions who would be more than displeased if I went missing. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"Is that a challenge?" Her heart began to race. She may not stand a chance but _oh_, how she would love to try.

'_My queen, calm yourself. You know what will happen if you get too excited,'_ came Sitri's voice, a tinge of worry evident.

_I know._ The huntress took in a few long breaths to ease the feeling. If it escalated any further the main scourge of her family may present itself in her and she was-by no means-ready to accept such a thing.

There were too many things to do and to see. There was no way in heaven or hell that she would willingly sit down and watch herself waste away into a pile of dust while the world continued to move on around her. It just would not happen.

"Which is why, you should join me."

Snapping out of her thoughts, she gawked at him "E-Excuse me," she spluttered. He had that same look on his face. The expectation of her agreeing with him was clearly written over his face.

"You should join me. I could use someone like you on my team and I promise you that there will never be a dull moment when you are with me."

_Liar, he has to be lying_

'_I don't think that he's lying, my queen,'_ Sitri chuckled. Much to Faiza's dismay, he had taken a liking to the so-called 'miracle boy'. _'You should say yes.'_

Somehow, Sinbad's words struck a chord with her. Faiza quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes twinkling in a way he had never seen before. He had succeeded. Finally he had cracked this bull-headed woman or so he thought until a familiar sound brushed past his ears. It was laughter.

She had tried to hide it with her hand but the sound that escaped her lips was without a doubt, laughter. Needless to say that this was nowhere near what he had expected.

"Me? and you? _Together?_" Another fit of light giggles escaped her lips. "I'm sorry, Sinbad but I really don't know anything about you, nor you about me. I'm really not one for blind trust so I'll have to pass."

"Call me Sin," he said firmly, a look of disappointment swimming in his amber eyes.

"No," Faiza replied, "I would rather not." A light smile still graced her features. He hadn't gotten what he originally hoped for but a smile, let alone a laugh from this woman meant much more than he thought. Sinbad wasn't all that surprised at the rejection but he hadn't given up yet, not by a long shot. He could see that she was a trustworthy person, someone who would have unbreakable loyalty should the right person appear.

If he was going to accomplish his goals, he would need people with that unbreakable loyalty.

"Why not? You claim we barely know each other and yet, we've been fighting for around a year now and I think I know you pretty well from all of our interactions."

'_He makes a valid point.'_

"Really now? Enlighten me then, on your _extensive_ knowledge of me."

"Your coldness around people stems from you not wanting to get hurt. I suspect it may be because of some sort of trauma in your past. In an attempt to avoid the cruelness that this world can bring, you have become indifferent to the world. That is what I think. I also think that you are a strong person with strong loyalties to those important to you."

"Wrong. That is so very wrong except for that last part."

"You mean it's so wrong how I know the truth?"

"No, I mean you are wrong. I have already made peace with my demons."

"_Um, if I may interrupt…"_

"Really now, care to enlighten me then?"

"Nice try but no can do. I have my own hell to raise and I don't think you want to be there when it all goes down."

"Try me. I've seen more things than you think. Who knows, I may even come in handy."

"_My queen, if I may..."_

_What is it, Sitri?_

"_Could you please tell me how long the two of you have been conversing in this room you should have already left."_

Gray eyes went wide and a long string of curses fell from her lips as she began rushing toward the exit that had been staring back at them for who knows how long. "Damn it all." Amber eyes studied the sudden distress etched onto a previously calm face and quickly flicked over to their surroundings. The water level had risen as well. It had previously been just below Sinbad's knees but now was at his waist and at Faiza's stomach.

"_Shit_," he ground out. He had gotten careless.

"Sinbad, how long have we been in this room?"

"No idea but we should get a move on."

"Good idea."

...

...

...

...

"She's not going back, you know." It had been hours since Manali had started her search with _that_. Amethyst eyes briefly over to him. He had the same bored expression that he had two hours ago.

"You've been saying that for the past five minutes," he replied with a yawn. It would be dark soon and he wasn't too happy about having spent his time with _her_ for the past four hours.

"I'm just making sure you understand the situation."

"I understand plenty. You seem to fail to understand that I could give less than a shit if Faiza wants to go back, she is going to whether she wants to or not."

"When did you get to be such a prick, Karam? Oh, I forgot, you've always been this way."

He hummed softly, faintly amused but more agitated than anything. "I am genuinely contemplating whether to sew that noisy mouth of yours shut or to just cut out your tongue. Which would you prefer?"

"Neither, jackass. If you so much as touch me, I will-"

In an instant, Karam had whipped around and was glowering down at her. "You'll _what_? Go on, I'm dying to know what you'll do to me." Manali glared back, stare unwavering as she felt his hand curl around her throat.

Back when the trio was younger, Manali recalled one time she had spotted finger-like bruises around Faiza's neck. It was one of the rare times she had really pissed off Karam during one of their sparring matches. It was also one of the rare times she had seen her childhood friend so shaken up. That incident had been years ago but Manali still remembered what Faiza told her on how she escaped.

Karam released Manali's neck just in time to dodge a kick that he was sure-as-sugar was aimed at his crotch.

"Nice try but you missed." Turning on his heel, Karam resumed walking. This was getting way too complicated for him. All he wanted to do was find Faiza, maybe try to have another sparring match depending on his mood, and go back home. But somehow, it seemed like fate had a different plan for him. He gave a long and exaggerated sigh before yelling at Manali to 'get her ass moving'.

Sometimes he really did hate this mysterious thing known as 'Fate'. What gave it the right to decide his life and what he did? What gave it the right to decide Faiza's life? Or even Manali's? As he knew all too well, life is cruel.

_Fate_ is cruel.

How anybody could simply resign themselves to the workings of some so-called 'higher being' was beyond him. But that was a debate for another day, for now all Karam needed to do was find that impossibly hard-headed fool whom he wanted so desperately to meet.

**A/N: Hello all my lovely readers, I hope you enjoyed the next chapter of Wayward Souls. Regarding the canon plot, I will NOT deviate from any of the major plot points in Magi or Magi: Adventures of Sinbad. This particular part takes part during 'Adventures of Sinbad' and I will try my absolute best not to deviate from anything. But since the 'Adventures of Sinbad' side story has just started to kick up, please forgive me if there are any discrepancies in that respect. Should any of these arise, I will fix them IMMEDIATELY. As for this story, it will be in present day Magi more towards the end than anything..Heh, so meeting Aladdin and the gang will have to wait a while. So, any thoughts on this chapter, whether they are good or bad, ...thoughts on characters and character interactions, I would love to hear them. Anyway, thank you for reading.**

**-_Aos_**


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